I’ve made no attempt to sugarcoat just how stupid a drama Ring Ring Bell is, and conversely I am more than happy to shout from the rooftops about how winning the two leads Janine Chang and Peter Ho were in that dumber than bricks drama. But a crucial factor in their chemistry was that they played against type – Peter usually does the arrogant prick and here he played a really warm, kind, and genuinely good guy inside and out, while Janine tries out bumbling and earnest for a change rather than brainy ice queen. The role reversal worked wonders because it made him less smarmy than he usually comes off onscreen and made her much warmer and more relatable than normal. In essence, they played close to their real life personalities, and they got along so fabulously during filming there have been nonstop rumors that they turned reel into real since then. I’m totally game for them to reunite on another project and now it’s been confirmed they are about to start filming a web drama adapted from the queen of torture melo Fei Wo Si Cun’s short story Le Jun Kai. If anyone is wondering why this writer is called the queen of torture melo, her novels adapted into dramas have been the appalling Sealed with a Kiss with Ying Er and Hawick Lau (where I got flack for criticizing her weight and dowdy attire plus the entire story was simply a rape victim falls in love with her rapist apologist manifesto), the boring Girl in Blue with Chen Qiao En, Roy Qiu, and Feng Shao Feng (I knew one of the two guys was going to die), and the abusive hero creed Too Late to Say I Love you with Wallace Chung and Li Xiao Ran. The upcoming Le Jun Kai is the first short story of this author to get a drama adaptation and the description is that its chock full of emotionally torturous angsty love and hate between the OTP. Great – way to mess with the cute and healthy chemistry between Janine and Peter! God this sucks. Of course I’ll end up watching it.
The novel is about a vengeful male protagonist Le Jun Kai who marries the daughter of his fated enemy as revenge. I will never ever understand that trope or the motivation behind it. After they get married, he torments her and drives her away, though he has feelings for her and can’t love another woman since then. Year later, they meet again and he learns they have a child together. She concealed it from him and raised the child alone. During their mutual torment a startling truth is revealed. Despite his insistence that he doesn’t love his wife Ye Zi or their child, when he hears that she has been kidnapped he rushes to save her.
Turns out he is pretending that he doesn’t love her and tries to drive her away so that she leaves him. And stupid Ye Zi apparently loves this douche so much that despite all his torment of her she continues to love him. The real reason she left him is because it hurts her to watch him so sad when she is around. *headdesk* Apparently the producers thinks the characters are perfect for Janine and Peter and they have the right chemistry to make us care about this very torturous love story. I just want to take a bat and break the knees of this so-called male lead character already. My poor Peter and Janine, this is wrong to waste their chemistry on. *sobs*
Thanks for the news, cap k. I’m in too. There is nothing to watch lately.
I also watched RRB and till now still can’t believe I actually finished that drama, must be due to the OTP’s chemistry.
I can barely stand melo, and this looks like really mindless painful melo for the sake of melo, I felt like banging my head just reading the story outline here.
I dunno if I will watch it despite liking the 2 of them together… if this drama is like really short, maybe I’ll still check it out.
I must be the only one who enjoyed Ring Ring Bell LOL. It wasnt the most sensicle but it was entertaining and the chemistry was hot!
Man what’s with these people liking abusive relationships? Sealed with a kiss was disturbing for me I never understood why. And now there’s 50 shades of grey and other similar erotic novels turning big.
*headdeaking* with you as I read the synopsis. Did you know they did a small episodic commercial movie for State Farm called “Of Love and Rain”. I only watched the first 2 episodes but their chemistry is amazing.
I’m reading this synopsis and thinking, this is crazy and has sealed with a kiss written all over it. I’m facepalming over the foolishness to come, but I’m gonna tune in to see the trainwreck. I’m not even gonna front, I watched and loved sealed with a kiss cause it was just so darn crazy, it was addicting. Oh crap, now I’m excited lol
In general, I am seriously allergic to Fei Wo Si Cun’s use of nauseating tropes – case in point, Sealed with a Kiss – and was seriously flabbergasted that SWAK was such a hit in China. Wrong, wrong message to be sending to women, woman!
However, there is one book of hers that I admit to having a soft spot for, and that I wouldn’t mind seeing turned into a drama: Eastern Palace/Dong Gong. The story is really rather elementary, and of course like 99% of FWSC’s books, the OTP go down in flames in the end, but even someone like me who can’t stand angst surprisingly liked this book. Also, no nauseating tropes, I promise. Anyone who’s remotely interested can start off by reading this excerpt here: http://xia0yuer.tumblr.com/post/24249842092/a-brief-introduction-to-eastern-palace-scene 🙂
Hi do u know where one can read the full story online ? In Chinese would b fine too.
This page has links to the book and audiobook: http://www.books.shushengbar.com/?p=1702 . Enjoy! 🙂
Hi thanks for the recommendation! Got really caught up with heavy sweetness ash like frost after reading xiaoyuer’s translations.
Lol. Its hilarious to read your comment. I can’t finish RRB despite my love for Peter Ho. However, I will attempt to watch his upcoming drama and see how it goes.
I can’t wait for this!!!
I actually love Fei Wi Si Cun’s work. Her leads may be violent but they loved their soul mates to death. They will go through hell and back for them.
When does it come out?
The only angsty show and dark enough for my own standard would be Summer Desire, and I loveee Peter Ho in there!!! So I supposed I can bear to watch this drama… Or perhaps I’ll just wait till the recap is out and then start considering it *wink*
oh HOW i MISS THESE TWO!! Gosh.. I hope there are going to be ways to watch this web drama when it airs.. even though the story sounds so sad!
i’m a new fan of Peter Ho, anything he’s on will be fine with me.:))